New Polco Survey Helps Leaders Assess COVID-19 Economic Impacts

by Jen Aceto on January 13, 2021

- By Jen Aceto -

Polco develops new survey to help local leaders get input from residents about the economic and employment impacts of COVID-19

Local governments and their communities are finding innovative ways to respond to the economic challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Community leaders must ensure residents and employers have the information and resources they need in order to prepare for economic recovery.

Survey scientists at Polco have created the COVID-19 Economic & Employment Impact Survey to help local leaders get critical resident input. Local governments can use this survey to collect data that will help them partner with the community. This may include connecting hiring managers with residents seeking work opportunities. Understanding the economic impact on households and businesses will allow leaders to give residents the resources they need.

“We designed this survey to help local governments better understand the financial struggles their residents and local businesses are experiencing,” said Michelle Kobayashi, Polco’s Senior Vice President of Innovation.

This survey, like the surveys in Polco’s COVID-19 Toolkit, gives residents a way to make their voices heard and allows local governments to get the input they need to make decisions. In a socially-distanced world, creative digital approaches to community engagement are more important than ever before.

The survey asks respondents to rate their community on the quality and variety of employment opportunities, cost of living, and availability of jobs that pay a livable wage. Also included are questions on employment, hiring, and workforce readiness.

The survey asks residents to share their household’s overall economic health and how much COVID-19 has impacted their household income. This includes questions about whether they have faced difficulty paying for things like rent, utilities, food, and healthcare as a result of the pandemic. Understanding the economic impact on their residents will help local governments assess the needs of their residents and local businesses.

A section for hiring managers asks whether they are planning to hire and the types of jobs they are adding. This section also asks about the challenges they may face finding good employees in the community. Residents looking for work can provide input on their job search and any skills or training they need in order to be successful.

This information is important not only for local governments but also for employers as they formulate plans for COVID-19 recovery.

Local leaders can choose to post the entire survey or select a few questions, depending on interests and engagement goals. Additionally, each question can be customized (edited) to best suit the needs of each community.

Local governments can conduct the COVID-19 Economic & Employment Impact Survey of their own residents for free. Learn more.

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